Taxes, Banking and Money in Vietnam for Digital Nomads

You are a Vietnamese tax resident if you meet any of these tests:

• You spend 183 days or more in Vietnam in a calendar year, or in the 12 months from your first arrival.
• You have a registered permanent residence in Vietnam.
• You hold a lease on a home in Vietnam for a qualifying period (generally 183 days or more in the tax year), even if you are not physically there that long.

Residents are taxed on worldwide income, wherever it is paid. Non-residents are taxed only on Vietnamese-source income, at a flat 20% on employment income. A remote worker on 90-day e-visas who stays under 183 days and doesn’t sign a long lease is usually a non-resident with no Vietnamese-source income.

Vietnam’s new personal income tax law cut the number of brackets from seven to five, for salary income from 1 January 2026:

Residents deduct a personal allowance of ₫15.5 million a month, plus ₫6.2 million for each dependant. Vietnam has tax treaties with around 80 countries, including the UK, US, Australia, Canada and most of the EU, which can give credit for tax paid at home.

Most remote workers in Vietnam stay well under 183 days a year, leave every 90 days for a visa run, and rent month to month. People who stay longer, or who sign a year’s lease, should get advice before they cross the line, because becoming a resident means declaring worldwide income. Keep records of your entry and exit dates.

These are ballpark monthly costs for one person living comfortably in a one-bedroom apartment on a monthly lease, eating out most days, with a coworking desk and a social life, at about ₫26,000 to the dollar.

Rough prices: a bowl of phở or bánh mì ₫30,000 to ₫60,000, a meal in a mid-range restaurant ₫150,000 to ₫300,000, an iced coffee ₫25,000 to ₫60,000, a coworking day pass ₫100,000 to ₫250,000, a month of coworking ₫1.5 to ₫4 million, a scooter rental ₫1.2 to ₫2 million a month, and a cleaner about ₫100,000 for a few hours.

Vietnam is still cash-heavy for foreigners, though locals pay for almost everything with VietQR codes from their banking apps. Cards work in hotels, malls, supermarkets, chain cafes and Grab, but street food, markets, landlords and scooter rentals usually want cash. Vietnamese notes are easy to confuse: the ₫10,000 and ₫200,000 notes are similar colours, as are the ₫20,000 and ₫500,000. Check before you hand them over.

Rent is usually paid in cash or by bank transfer, monthly or a few months up front, with a one- or two-month deposit.

ATMs charge foreign cards about ₫50,000 to ₫110,000 per withdrawal, and many have low limits of ₫2 million to ₫5 million. Fees and limits vary a lot between banks, so try a few and stick with the one that works best for your card. Always decline the ATM’s own currency conversion.

For rent and larger amounts, Wise and similar services can send money to Vietnamese bank accounts at good rates, which helps if your landlord accepts transfers. Some long-stayers use exchange counters at gold shops, which often give better rates than banks for US dollars.

A Vietnamese account gives you VietQR payments, free withdrawals and easy rent transfers, but it is hard to get without a temporary residence card. Some banks open accounts for foreigners on a valid visa, but policies vary by branch and they often ask for a visa with several months remaining and proof of address. Most nomads on e-visas manage without one, using cash, a foreign card that refunds ATM fees, and Wise.